The Wind Cries Mary - Jimi Hendrix

Clinging on doggedly to the old adage 

"It's An Ill Wind That Blow Nobody Any Good" 

and as sub-zero temperatures hold on even more tighly we don't detract from our mission!

Quite a surprise then to find the larvae of a

From the dew-soaked hedge creeps a crawly caterpillar,
when the dawn begins to crack.
It's all part of my autumn almanac!

LARGE YELLOW UNDERWING MOTH

Breeze blows leaves of a musty-coloured yellow,
so I sweep them in my sack
Yes, yes, yes, it's my autumn almanac!

Autumn Almanac - The Kinks and Many Thanks to Phil Sterling for the Identification.

Followed by another conundrum as we have never recorded Rabbit in the garden where did this come from?

Could it just be the Guineafowl?

 and before you cry "Oh no not another

MUTE SWAN"
this one, although it dosn't look it and with no size comparison, seemed to be just

⅔ the size of what is usual, which took us back to Radipole Lake, Weymouth in 2004 when this

‘smaller’ adult was considered to be of a Polish strain?

 It was time for the Ill Wind to play its part as arriving at 18-Acre the horse paddocks beyond were found to be littered with birds representing 3 species. Most numerous had to be

STARLING

which were surely

in excess of the 200 mark

with

REDWING

not that far

behind

while

FIELDFARE

were noticably fewer

but still showing 3 figures.
The trip up north was worth it if only for the

male

and

female

BULLFINCH
along the Sewerage Works fenceline while the Heath / Airport would have remained static

DRILLING RIG?
had it not been for c2 illusive Stonechat.
Back to Base and as ever the pond-side

HERRING GULLs

proved irresistible unlike the

toing and froing

of the Mighty and Noisy

GLOBEMASTER

which we consider, rightly or wrongly,

these continuous and low-level passes to be for

Radar Calibrations?